Raveena Tandon to debut in G.P. Sippy's 'Patthar Ke Phool'

From Treetops to Salman Khan's arms is quite a jump for Raveena Tandon. For the 18-year-old model who used to dance to Hindi film tunes behind closed doors, the world of films is a dream come true.

advertisement

india today digital

August 31, 1990

ISSUE DATE: August 31, 1990

UPDATED: October 3, 2013 15:52 IST

Raveena Tandon: Model role

From Treetops to Salman Khan's arms is quite a jump for Raveena Tandon. For the 18-year-old model who used to dance to Hindi film tunes behind closed doors, the world of films is a dream come true. The Sunsilk, Lipton Treetop and Khatau sari girl will debut in G.P. Sippy's Patthar Ke Phool with teenie heart-stopper Salman Khan. "It's a oneway street now," she says. "Bye bye modelling. I can't go back to it." Especially not if you've signed five films with big names: like Sanjay Dutt and Chintu uncle.

Kumar Bangarappa: Orient express

Enter the dragon: an Indian one. From the Bangalore railway station begins a wham bam, action-packed journey in search of a precious blue crystal that is somewhere between Hong Kong and India. Starring in The Blue Crystal, to be dubbed in Chinese and English, is Kannada hero Kumar Bangarappa, 26, son of Karnataka politician S. Bangarappa. "I don't fight as well as the Chinese do," says Kumar whose cut-out in Bangalore got him the prized role. "They are sharper and faster." But any way you do it, everybody loves kung-fu fighting.

Mahabharat: Moving epic

The gods don't die. Once they learn how to make money, they beat lesser mortals at it hands down. The Mahabharat gang, after holding TV audiences hostage forever and a year, are reluctant to let go of all that fame and fortune. So, with good business sense, they are editing two years of serial down to three-and-a-half hours and doing a Peter Brooks to it. On August 26, Mahabharat will premier as a stage play in Bombay followed by shows in Chicago and New Jersey. Says Nitish Bhardwaj, Lord Krishna to all: "It is like our last hurrah."

Deenbandhu Baba: Hair raising

It is black and yellow and very sleek. And it is not a Maruti taxi. It is a self-illuminated, shapely, polyglass Public Call Office, winner of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam's Design-a-Booth competition. And now, the svelte winner, as an MTNL spokesman says, will be "just left in the street" - a beacon to travellers to come and call. Futurephone - with the push-button and std facilities - will start appearing on highways and airports in Bombay and Delhi soon. But instead of swanking up the packaging, MTNL needs to take a look at toning up the product.

Phone Booth: New ring

He's a cross between Rasputin and Rapunzel. When Deenbandhu Baba, who lives in village Dunda on the banks of the Bhagirathi river, lets down his long beard, it flows 171 cm long. Comb out the tangles and add another 10 cm. But so difficult is it to comb and wash that Baba leaves it the way it is - au naturel. And the bodhi on the top of his head measures 122 cm. The bearded baba, who made it to the Limca Book of Records, says: "I' m just a lazy old man. God will forgive my little vanity."

N. Kunjarani Devi: Wonder woman

Why can't a woman be more like a man? Well, for the last one year, a dozen women have been pumping their way into the traditional male domain of weight-lifting. This month India will send its first-ever contingent of women weight-lifters to the Beijing Asian Games. The daring dozen have been beefing up muscle power on a daily diet that includes half a kilo of chicken and a kilo of milk and a lot of physical training. N. Kunjarani Devi, 21, is the one to watch. She is currently World No. 2 (lifts a total of 132.5 kg as against the Chinese No. 1 of 165 kg). Her plans: "I want to be the world champion and then get married and retire." And then perhaps hoist the traditional weights of a woman.